raised in our story are addressed in the new law. in fact, the new legislation actually reduces medicare payments for hospice programs which studies have shown are very cost-efficient. our next story involves a widely used family of chemicals known as phthalates, which may be affecting our health and are found in everyday items like shower curtains, shampoos, perfumes, and even children's toys. in fact, our exposure to phthalates is so ubiquitous, we all have traces of the chemical in our bodies. even though phthalates have been used since the 1920s, a recent group of studies has shown that the chemical disrupts hormone activity and may be causing a slow and steady demasculinizing of men. and in 2009, congress followed europe's lead and banned certain phthalates for use in children's toys. congress came under pressure to act because of a study by dr. shanna swan, an epidemiologist at the university of rochester medical school. dr. swan compared the levels of phthalates in a group of pregnant women with the health of the baby boys the